Dive Brief:
- The National Business Group on Health (NBGH), the non-profit organization that represents the large employer perspective on national health policy issues, has honored 55 U.S. employers for having the nation's best workforce well-being programs.
- Employers, including eight first-time winners, earned the "Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles" awards for having an "exceptional commitment" to improving their employees’ physical health, productivity and overall quality of life, according to the NBGH.
- Now in its 12th year, the awards program was expanded to incorporate a wide range of well-being factors including job satisfaction, community involvement, financial security, emotional health and social connectedness.
Insights
Today's employers are transitioning their focus from offering traditional wellness programs focused primarily on improving their employees' physical health to holistic well-being strategies aimed at enhancing the various facets of employees’ and their families' lives. Also, the use of digital tools is also on the rise, and big data is also making wellness deliver on its promise of lower healthcare costs.
In the case of the 2016 winners, the NBGH rated these employers as leaders in sustaining healthy work environments and lifestyles by integrating strategies, policies and programs that support individual and corporate performance - a worthwhile objective but often easier said than done among U.S. employers.